ToS: Rise of Niflheim
by Synobis
Summary: The Otherworldly Gate does not connect anywhere now that the worlds are one. Or so most people think. The gates of Niflheim are opening. Might contain SheenaXOC later on. R&R.
1. Proluge

Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia. Yay.

**Tales of Symphonia**

**Rise of Niflheim**

_Prologue_

It has been many years since the Heros of Symphonia defeated the Fallen Hero, Methos, and restored the worlds of Sylvarent and Tethe'alla. Each has accomplished the goal they had set out for once the worlds were one. Lloyd and Colette had finished ridding the world of Exspheres, then settled down in Iselia. Zelos became the advisor of the king in Meltokio, using his powers to help rebuild and unite the world. Regal and Presea used the powers of Regals company to aid in the rebuilding of the world alongside Zelos and Meltokio. Raine and Genis convinced the world to put aside its discrimination of Half-Elves and helped settle those Half-Elves without a home of their own into the newly founded town of Mithrim. Sheena became the leader of Mizuho and re-established the town in Sylvarant, though no one knew exactly were. All seemed peaceful in the world of Symphonia. So it seemed. However, now that the worlds were one a dark force was able to finally come through the Otherwordly Gate, for it was now unconnected to any set location.

Location: Otherwordly Gate

A calm breeze swept through the lone, abandoned island. The massive pillars making up the Otherwordly Gate standing strong as they pointed towards the sky...a sky with a now full moon. The clouds, lazily moving through the sky, finally part and reveal Symphonia's moon in all its luminous glory, basking the Otherwordly Gate in its light. The gate, drawing energy from the moons soothing light, flashes with a sudden swirling energy that engulfs the island in a sphere of light. The show is spectacular, but brief. The clouds soon obscure the moon once more, ending the light that it had been bathing on the Otherwordly Gate. The wind is now clashing violently with the island, the sea around it moving angrily at the sudden disturbance. The island, however, is not longer so lonely...a dark, hooded figure slowly stands, chuckling as he looks about his surroundings. Wordlessly, he turns around...and vanishes completely. Once more, the island is alone.


	2. The Avatar

Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of Symphonia. As if that wasn't obvious enough.

**Tales of Symphonia**

**Rise of Niflheim**

_Chapter 1: The Avatar_

Deep in the woods a scream is heard, followed by a thud. The screams point of origin is a green Knight of Meltokio, and around him are several of his fallen comrades. Each knight is covered in several gashes, most of which ripped right through their armor, each one oozing blood. In the center of the carnage is a lone figure dressed in a very dark navy blue uniform. He looks very out of place, his clothing being unique in the world of Symphonia due to its material. It has many nylon straps on it, several having hooks attached so he could hold various things, though each hook is devoid of anything useful. Anyone that might look at him would think of an assassin from his looks. On the shoulder of his suit is an insignia, an eagle holding a serpent and scroll behind a shield, it looks very faded and is in a language long forgotten. Slowly, our figure stands up, his suit covered in the blood of those surrounding him. A better look of him shows he if fairly well built, though the uniform covers almost every part of his body. He has dark black hair, and deep red eyes. His face is fair, showing no scars or any sign of injury in battle. Impressive, considering what he had just been through. Continuing to examine our lone figure, his weapons come into attention. They are Katars, strapped to his fore arm. They are, however, unique in both their design and material. The design is set into two parts: The silver blade, and the black case. The case of the weapons hold the blade, which is able to retract into the case, and also holds the bolt dispenser as a small hole to the side of where the blade is sheathed. The blades themselves look very dangerous, with searing red runes engraved upon their surface. They are made of a nigh indestructible material that is so slick even the thickness of blood slides of them, leaving the blades spotless though they had just bitten into flesh. Looking around, he grunts in annoyance. These knights had been following him for a while...they kept attacking on and off. But he had managed to kill every party that tried to capture him. They usually came in groups of three or four, nothing he couldn't handle. But it was still annoying. He turned back to the path he had been following and walked out of the clearing and back into the forest, heading towards a mountain pass that lead towards the valley where the Linkite Tree resided. It was a secluded valley, and he hoped he would not be bothered there. As he walked, he felt a voice in the depths of his mind growl out.

(private thoughts shall be used as **'text'** and thoughts being communicated to someone will be used with **text**)

**Syn, I grow tired of this. We must find the summoner soon. **Its impatience was obvious. Syn narrowed his eyes.

**'Yes...I know...'** The voice didn't seem satisfied.

**Then quicken your pace... **Sighing, Syn sped up, quickly covering the ground to the pass, then past it and into the forest surrounding the Linkite Tree. On entering the forest again he realized he would have to clean his clothing before getting to Mizuho...a blood stained stranger would probably not go over well with the locals. After a brief stop to clean his blood-stained clothes, he finally found his target: the newly relocated Mizuho. It had not taken that long to find for him, though he had an idea of were he was going...the summoner was almost like a beacon to him, her link to the summon spirits drawing him near her. As he stepped out of the forest and approached the village, he could sense the eyes watching him. He smirked, thinking of how the ninjas around him probably thought that they would have an easy advantage if they attacked him. If they only knew. However, he was not here to alienate the summoner...so that meant he couldn't kill the ninjas. A pair of such ninjas now approached him, and though they showed no sign of attacking he could tell they were prepared to an offensive if need be.

"You there. Who are you that approaches our village?" It was obvious that this ninja was curious. There is only one way by land into this valley, and it was hidden very well.

"My name is Syn...I am..." He stopped for a moment...he wasn't sure what he could call himself to these people. Certainly not what he really was. Not wanting to hesitate any longer, he continued his sentence.

"...a friend. It is urgent that I speak with your Summoner. The fate of your world depends on it." The two ninjas looked to each other, not sure whether to believe this stranger before them. After a moment they decided to allow him entry.

"Very well...we will ask Chief Sheena if she will speak with you...however, if she denies your request you will leave immediately. You will also be escorted through the village two of ours...I recommend you do not cause any trouble." With that two other ninjas moved towards him and escorted him to the village gates. Syn smiled politely to the two in front of him, though it to them it seemed a look filled hate. They shifted uncomfortably before moving back towards the village, perhaps now doubting they acceptance of him to see their chief, but keeping true to their word. As he waited at the gate for the word of acceptance or denial from the Summoner, he noticed that more ninjas seemed to have discreetly come into position around him. He, however, ignored them. Soon the Summoner emerged from the chiefs building, coming to stand before him. Looking the girl over, he felt himself feel something he hadn't felt in a long time. This girl reminded him of someone...someone very dear to him from years past. But his outer demeanor did not change, and the feeling passed quickly. The girl looked rather annoyed, but kept a professional air about her. She eyed him curiously...she could sense something out of place with him, but was not sure what it was. He could see it in her eyes...they were full of caution.

"What kind of danger is it that you say threatens our world?" Syn smiled slightly, and reached into one of his pockets. He chuckled to himself as he saw a few ninjas flinch with anticipation of an attack. Slowly, he withdrew a rolled up document and handed it to Sheena. Cautiously, the summoner took the paper and unrolled up. On reading it her eyes went wide. Looking up to Syn, she question him.

"Where did you get this?" "From the hands of knights looking for this very village." replied Syn. Sheena was obviously confused. She read the parchment again in disbelief. The document detailed an order from the King of Meltokio for the death of Lloyd, Collette, Presea, Raine, and Genis. It also called for the capture of her, Regal, and someone named Syn. It also contained orders for the destruction of Mizuho. Another aspect that made it even more confusing was that it was signed not only by the king, but by the former Chosen of Tethe'alla, Zelos. Looking back up to Syn, she decided to ask him the location of the knights.

"Where are these knights? I want proof that what you say is true. You cant expect me to believe that this isn't some kind of trick." Syn chuckled at her words. But he had all the proof she could want.

"Look south from the pass that enters into this valley. The forest there will contain the corpses of these knights. There should be four total. They have been attacking me on and off in an effort to keep me from finding you. These knights, however, were seeking your village as well. They know it is in this area, but are not sure where. It is only a matter of time before they find you." Sheena whispered something to a ninja near her, who promptly gathered two others and ran off towards the direction Syn indicated the corpses would be in. Sheena still looked a little shocked by what she learned, not wanting to believe that Zelos would want to kill his former companions. She wanted to shout to this stranger that he was lying, that Zelos would never do something like this. She had never really liked Zelos all that much, and even after she learned that he had leaked information on their group once his later actions had earned her respect for him if nothing else. Syn, seeing her distress, decided it would be better to talk to her once she found he wasn't lying and the information had sunk in. He didn't want to have to deal with someone that couldn't accept this turn of events.

"Summoner Sheena, perhaps it would be best if we talked once your comrades have verified the corpses and you are ready to talk. But I recommend you don't take too long...the rest of your friends are also in danger, though they probably don't know it." Sheena, who had been deep in thought of why Zelos would decided to kill his former allies, snapped out of her thoughts at Syn's words.

"Very well...you may stay at the inn here...I will speak to you in the morning." Syn nodded and proceeded with his escorts towards the inn as Sheena walked back towards the chiefs hut. As morning rolled around, two ninjas knocked on Syn's door. He had been waiting all night for them to finally come to get him. Getting up, he answered the door and was promptly escorted to Sheena's hut. On entering the hut he saw her seated on the floor. Following her example he sat before her. Sheena finished sipping on what appeared to be a mug of hot tea before finally getting to business.

"We found the corpses you spoke of...they...they were from Meltokio...the descriptions fit perfectly...though from what I was told they had far from a peaceful death..." Syn had to keep from smiling at her from what he took as a complement.

"So they didnt...but thats not what you want to ask me about is it? Tell me...would you like to know why I sought you out and showed you this letter?" This was obviously exactly what Sheena wanted to know. She nodded, signaling him to continue.

"Very well...it is a long story. In your travels, did you ever hear of a place called Niflheim?" He waited for Sheena to show some sign of acknowledging this before continuing.

"Alright...then do you also know that Niflheim also existed on Symphonia for a time?" This he knew she would not have known. And waited for her to show that she didn't before once more continuing.

"Thousands of years ago, almost 8,000 to be more precise, your human ancestors opened a gateway to hell...to Niflheim. The gateway allowed demons to pour in and conquer the land, this also gave rise to the Lord of Demons, Neblheim. He caused much destruction throughout Symphonia, and for 1,000 years he ruled a land of desolation and darkness. But he was defeated. Angels, who had been battling the evil raging on Symphonia since Neblheim gained power, created three summon spirits to combat the Lord of Demons. They were the Summon Spirits of Good, Order, and Creation. With the power of these unique Summon Spirits the Angels were able to beat back Neblheim, but not before he created three Summon Spirits to rival those of the Angels. The Summon Spirits of Evil, Chaos, and Destruction. However, only two of these Summon Spirits would pledge their loyalty to the Lord of Demons. Those of Evil and Destruction. The Summon Spirit of Chaos did not care for either side, simply deciding to stay and feed off the colossal battle that engulfed Symphonia. With the lack of one of the Demonic Summon Spirits, the Angels were able to defeat Neblheim and shut the world of Niflheim into a book were it was sealed. Within the book went Lord of Demons, as well as Demonic Summon Spirits that pledged loyalty to him. The angels then worked to restore the world, which took the better part of 1,000 years to do completely." Syn waited for all this to sink in before continuing his story.

"As you also know, Mithos caused the world to split into two and that the Otherworldly Gate served as a link between them. The Otherworldly Gate, however, was a creation of Mithos in case a situation arose where it might be needed. Now that the two worlds are one, there is no where for the Otherworldly Gate to have a set link to...So Neblheim was able to use some of his power to come through the gate. Using his abilities he was able to corrupt and manipulate the mind of both the King of Meltokio and his adviser, the one you call Zelos. But, while the king is hopelessly lost to the powers of Neblheim, Zelos has been able to keep his mind though he has no control of his body. But this is only temporary, for the longer he stays under Neblheim's control, the more his mind will ebb away into nothingness. Right now, Neblheim is weak...he needs Niflheim to become manifest if he is to obtain his true power. And, in order to resurrect Niflheim he would need to have some control over the Summon Spirits of Symphonia, and for that he needs you. That is why he does not want you killed. All the other Heroes of Symphonia he views as threats. Beings capable of defeating before he becomes unstoppable. Except for Regal...he wishes to use Regals company and resources to find a set of artifacts known as the Devil Arms. These are his ancient weapons. If he gets his hands on all of these he will be able to restore a large semblance of his power, though not near what he had should Niflheim be unleashed upon the world." Sheena looked somewhat dumbfounded at his words. But then again, she had just learned that her friends had been taken over by an 8,000 year old demon that wanted to unleash hell upon the world and had at one time been powerful enough to _create_ Summon Spirits himself. Sheena looked at Syn in disbelief. How could he know all this? If these event really took place 8,000 years ago then it would have been way, _way_ before his time...he looked about her age. Not to mention that Raine, who was absolutely obsessive when it came to history and legends, had never once found anything about this kind of thing.

"How...How do you know about all of this? I mean...there is nothing about this in any of the books and legends throughout Symphonia. And you don't seem to be someone who would have had access to Angelic History texts...and even if you did, only angels are supposed to be able to read them." Syn knew this question would come up. But even so, he wasn't sure how to answer it without making her suspicious of him.

**'Damn...what do I tell her?'** The voice in the back of his mind spoke up.

**Tell her what we are...there is no time and it would save confusion once the truth is known. Besides, though the other Summon Spirits will not be able to identify us, if Origin is summoned or when he once more detects our presence she will then know. **Syn silently agreed with the voice and spoke again to Sheena.

"Remember when I told you that the Demonic Summon Spirits that pledged there loyalty to Neblheim where sealed within the book along with him? Do you also recall how I said one of said spirits did not? I...no...we, are that Spirit. The Summon Spirit of Chaos, Erebus." Syn's eyes flashed a deep red as the name passed his lips. Erebus, his other half. Sheena's eyes widened at this knowledge, gasping as she fell backwards in her attempt to stand up quickly. Syn, seeing her reaction, tried to calm her down before anything bad happened. The last thing he needed was the summoner to call in her ninjas...that would not turn out good under any circumstance.

"Sheena! Listen, I'm here because I need your help and you will need mine. If I wanted to kill you, I could have done so already." Sheena seemed to calm at t his, his words most likely being very true. But what she found odd was that he didn't look like Summon Spirit...though she had been feeling some kind of strange vibe from him ever since they first met. Calming herself, she sat back down.

"H-How are you a summon spirit exactly? I mean...you don't look like one...and your not in a temple! I didn't think Summon Spirits could walk around like you are...and why are you helping me? Didn't you just say Neblheim created you? Why would you want to stop him? Why did-" Syn, growing tired of her questions, raised his hand and silenced her.

"One question at a time...please..." The irritation was obvious in his voice. He was not used to dealing with people...the last time he had was over 4,000 years ago.

"Alright...I will answer these questions for you...First, I am a summon Spirit, but I'm not at the same time. I am the Avatar of Chaos, an individual who holds within him the Summon Spirit of Chaos and draws off his power in order for him to be able to freely walk Symphonia. As we said, we are a special kind of Summon Spirit and able to make special pacts. At the time of the Angelic and Demon war there were still people in the world who suffered at the hands of the demons and those that helped them. My friends and family were slain by a group of these collaborators, but I escaped. For days I wandered a wore torn land plagued by evil. The angels were winning the battle with the demons, and they knew it. Eventually, I stumbled on Erebus' temple by accident. I was chased in there by a group of demons. It was a fairly large group and I was not able to kill them all off...I was severely wounded. Even so, I managed to make it to Erebus' altar...his seal. As the demons chased me into the room to finish me off, he appeared in all his glory, destroying the demons before they knew what happened. At first, I feared him. I had every reason to. But even he knew the demons were losing, and he could taste my desire for revenge on the collaborators who had killed my friends and family. He also admired the fact that I got to his seal while being chased by a large number of demons from a town that was destroyed far from his location...But anyway, he offered me a Mutual Pact. He promised to give me the power to take my revenge and cause unbelievable amounts of chaos and destruction, and I promised to become his vessel and listen to his words. So thus, the Avatar of Chaos was born." Once Sheena had taken this in, he continued to answer the rest of her questions.

"Now, the reason I am helping you is because Neblheim is not too happy with us...He views us as a threat to his power. In the years that he has been imprisoned we have grown very powerful. In fact, he recently tried to destroy me. Thousands of years ago we had been imprisoned and our power sealed by a group of warriors. Neblheim's search for Erebus led him to us, but he was confused at first. He was not sure we were Erebus, but he was not sure we were not. He also overestimated himself. He awoke us, thinking that if I was indeed Erebus he could control me the same way he was controlling Zelos and the King. But he was wrong. His attempt broke the seal which had kept Erebus' power in check and myself asleep and imprisoned. We...I manged to escape while he was still disoriented." Syn decided to switch to "I" instead of "we" in referring to himself. He could see the whole "we" thing was freaking the girl out even more. He didn't need that.

"Now...the reason I want to stop him is because although we do feed off of Chaos, if Niflheim comes into the world then I would be subject to Neblheim's will...and he would most likely destroy me for betraying him 7,000 years ago. The reason I need your help...is because I alone cannot truly harm him. Because he created me I bear a semblance of his power, thus any attacks I make on him either do him little harm or amplify his power. Due to this same situation, he is able to hurt me...able to kill me. Needless to say, that would not be a good situation to have in a fight against an enemy...So I came to find you, Summoner of Symphonia. With you and your friends, we could stop Neblheim from opening the gates of Neflheim." Sheena had to take a moment to take all this in. If what Syn said was true then he would be a very valuable ally...and she doubted he was lying. His stories were much too detailed and elaborate for a simple lie. However, she was still a bit hesitant. The whole Avatar and Mutual Pact was a bit...odd. It just didn't sound right. But if anyone knew whether Syn was indeed associated with a Summon Spirit it would be Origin. Before she did that, though, a thought came to her. "

Tell me...Erebus?" Syn smiled at her error, after all, only half of him was Erebus.

"Call us Syn. We have been called that for 7,000 years." Sheena nodded,

"Right...Syn. Tell me, what will you do after we defeat Neblheim? What would stop you from simply filling his shoes and taking out the only ones that could oppose you right then and there?" Syn chuckled silently to himself.

**'Seems she is getting a feel for us.'** Erebus' image smiled inside Syn's head. He was a large, demonic looking orange fox with six flaming tails and deep, red eyes much the color of Syn's. His sharp fangs showed as he smiled.

**Perhaps...but we can take care of it when we get to it. For now, she has no choice but to trust us. Besides, I've never been one to want to take over the world...** Syn laughed in his mind.

'**Oh, this is true...in my 7,000 years of life not once have you acted on the notion.'** Sheena backed up slightly as she saw Syn smile slightly, his look causing fear to run through her, especially after she her last question. Snapping back into reality, Syn noticed his mistake.

"Sorry...I was talking to Erebus...I space out when that happens sometimes. Anyway...right now you have no choice but to trust us. However, think about this, if I truly wanted to take over the world could I not have done so before? I was alive long before Mithos split the worlds, could I not have taken it over then?" Sheena thought about this, and though Syn had a point, it was a flawed one.

"And how do I know you did not try this before? You said yourself you were imprisoned by a powerful group of warriors, how do I know they weren't trying to stop you from taking over the world for yourself?" Syn was dumbstruck. He was also being chewed out by Erebus for letting her find a reason to doubt them. Sheena noticed Syn's lack of response and felt a moment of pride for placing this so-called Avatar of Chaos on the spot using his on words. Sighing, Syn had to give in to her logic.

"Alright...you don't know. But like I said, you have to trust me for now. However, I can give you a reason to trust me. In order for you to destroy or seal Neblheim back up, and I would prefer destroyed, you will need to make a pact with one of the Angelic Summon Spirits. It does not matter which one, but at least one if not all. My opposite is the Summon Spirit of Order...if you make a pact with him then he alone would be able to counter balance me, not the mention that although I hold Erebus' power, I am no where as powerful should he himself be using them. I have a limit to how much of his power I can access without being overwhelmed and destroyed by it. So those facts, along with your friends, should be enough that you could defeat me in battle should you need to...However, if I do not attack you, you MUST control any of the Angelic Summon Spirits you make a pact with. They will want to destroy me. I stand for the very thing they were created to destroy. In fact, none of the other Summon Spirits care for me...But you must promise, if I help you we part ways without you making any attempt to Seal or Destroy me. Deal?" With that, Syn held out his hand. Sheena suddenly felt flustered. She didn't know what to do, Syn's offer made her feel as if she was about to make a deal with the devil. Which, in a way, she was about to. However, she also did not feel she could refuse...if she had to make a pact an Angelic Summon Spirit she had no idea where to look...not to mention that Derris-Karhlan was beyond her ability to get to. Though Raine might be able to find a way to get to it, she had never seen any notion of Summon Spirits on the comet. And if they were on Symphonia, then the location of their seals was most likely long forgotten...There was also Zelos, the stupid former Chosen. According to what Syn had said he was slowly fighting a losing battle for his mind, which would soon drift away into nothingness. And, although she didn't care for Zelos, she didn't want him to die either...Finally deciding that there was no other choice, Sheena reached out and shook Syn's hand. As soon as her hand met his, a red seal appeared on the back of her hand. Seeing it, she quickly pulled away and jerked up to a standing position.

"What did you do? You tricked me!" Syn quickly got up as well, smirking.

"No, we did no such thing...we merely placed insurance on our deal. The Seal on the back of your hand insures that you will not break your promise. It will keep you from taking any actions to Seal us or destroy us, that is all. If you don't believe us, ask Origin. We know you will summon him sooner or later anyway." Sheena seemed to calm a bit at this, but still felt that Syn had tricked her and was very peeved about it.

"You know what? I will! And your gonna come with me when I do it. I want to ask Origin some things about you." Sheena stormed to the entrance of her hut, waiting for Syn to start following her before she made her way to the a small clearing near the village, but hidden due to some vegetation so the people would not be disturbed by her summonings. As they made there way to said clearing, many eyes followed her, though nothing else did. Syn was still wearing his smirk as they entered the clearing. It had been thousands of years since he last spoke with Origin...both he and Erebus did not relish the coming meeting with him, but they both new it would have to happen sooner or later. Sheena began doing her summoning moves, and as she finished a circle appeared, Origin appearing above.

"What do you wish Pact-Maker?" Then, on seeing Syn, his eyes narrowed.

"You!" Syn merely smiled and waved.

"Hello Origin...How have you been?"

Author's Note:

Yes, nothing like a good cliffhanger to snag the readers interest. Hope it snags enough. Will try to update soon...hopefully. 


	3. The Untrusted

Disclaimer: Still dont own Tales of Symphonia. Still think its obvious.

**Tales of Symphonia**

**Rise of Niflheim**

_Chapter 2: The Scorned_

Sheena had expected Origin to know about Syn and what he was if he was truly a Summon Spirit, even a demonic one. But she could feel Origin's hostility towards Syn, or Erebus rather. However, right now she wanted to know about the Seal on her hand.

"Origin! I have a question of thee! A Seal has been placed upon my hand, and I wish to know more of it!" Origins looked to Sheena's hand, and noticed the Seal Syn had placed on her. He looked back to Syn, his eyes glowing dangerously.

"It is a Curse Seal. One that can only be performed and removed by Erebus, the Demon Fox of Chaos." Syn smiled at at mention of 'himself.' Both he and Erebus were enjoying Origin's outright hatred for them and his inability to do anything about it. Still looking of at Syn, Origin continued.

"Its purpose seems to be to keep you from attacking him...with Summon Spirits or otherwise. The only way any of the Summon Spirits you currently hold a pact with could attack him is if they broke their pacts with you. Demon Fox! Why did you do this?" Origin was obviously very upset with Syn right now. And Syn was still enjoying it, fueling the anger of the King of Summon Spirits. Most would think that unhealthy...but he didn't care.

"Its very simple...even you cannot be so blind that you have not noticed what has been happening in Meltokio. Don't you feel it? The aura that city now gives off? You know exactly what it is..." Origin's eyes widened. He knew exactly what Syn was talking about, he just didn't want to believe it. That aura started a nightmare for him and the other summon spirits that lasted 1,000 years. With perhaps the exception of Shadow.

"It cannot be...Neblheim has returned?" Syn merely nodded. Beside him, and image began to form, that of the Demonic Summon Spirit of Chaos. The Demon Fox Erebus. He was quite large, his back standing just over Syn's head. Sheena gasped at the site of the beast, caught off guard by his sudden appearance and frightful look. Erebus stared Squarely at Origin.

"Neblheim came and attempted to take over the mind of my Avatar, thinking to control me through him. He instead broke the Seal that kept me imprisoned. He still wants me to destroy him for my 'betrayal' 7,000 years ago. Because I would not pledge my loyalty and fight for him he lost the war with the Angels. Right now not you or any other being on this planet can tell this girl how to seal or destroy him. Face it Origin, you need me my help." Origin grunted angrily in response.

"And you need ours. You have not been known for your trustworthiness Erebus...you and your avatar have done many terrible things in the past." Sheena listened with great interest to the conversation. The outcome of this would truly determine how much faith she would place in both Erebus and his Avatar. Both of them knew it too.

"While it is true I have done a great amount of wrongs to Symphonia in the past, I am willing to help save it now. If this land is overtaken by Neblheim then my existence will end, and you and the other Summon Spirits will whither or become slaves to a power greater than yours. You know this. And although you have no reason to trust me, I did have time to think while I was imprisoned for all those years...I noticed that although my Avatar and I could cause much chaos and destruction, the chaos was present in the world in large amounts even without my presence. The races of this world are always engulfed in chaos, whether it be violent or peaceful it is ever present. With this realization I was able to feed off that chaos, growing stronger through it that I had when I helped cause it." Origin laughed in response.

"You expect me to believe that coming from you? If you had not acted the way you had during the Great Karhlan War, I might have believed you...but you were responsible for the death of millions, Erebus, millions! No...I will not trust you. If you want trust, you will have to earn it. The other Summon Spirits agree. There was not much we could do at the time of the war because of how much mana it took from us just to keep the planet from withering completely, but we have no such problem now. If we must, all of us will break our pacts with Sheena and destroy you." Erebus laughed at Origin's tough talk, though it came out more like a growl. This time it was Syn that spoke up.

"Origin...if you make the mistake of coming after us, we will kill each and every one of you and destroy the Mana Tree. If you will not help us stop Neblheim then there will be no hope for this land, and we will be damned if we let Neflheim gain the power of the Mana Tree." Origin smirked.

"You are both already damned. The fox for his creation and you boy for becoming his vessel. The tree is different this time around, it has a guardian. And I imagine even Neblheim would have trouble defeating her. Erebus' ears perked up at this.

"A guardian you say? Interesting...that was something those foolish elves never thought to incorporate into the first Great Tree. Perhaps I will go meet this guardian one day...But for now, business. We will grudgingly accept your conditions. We will help each other out of necessity. However, or position is steadfast: attack us unprovoked and you will suffer." Origin nodded grimly. He disliked Erebus with the core of his being, as did many other summon spirits. His actions during the Karhlan War were despicable at best. But at the same time the Fox was right, they needed each other out of necessity. And if Erebus had indeed changed as he stated, then perhaps...no, the Demonic Summon Spirit could never change. It was not in his nature. Origin looked to Sheena, nodded in approval, then vanished. Being out of site he conveyed his thoughts to her.

**Be careful Sheena. Erebus and his avatar are not to be trusted outright. It must be earned. I, along with the other Summon Spirits, shall keep careful watch on him. If we sense anything amiss we shall do what we can do aid you.** Sheena nodded in her mind.

**Thank you, Origin.' **Erebus' image disappeared along with that of Origin's. He had never really been there anyway, merely a projection of his image through Syn. He didn't like Origin. He was always so high and mighty and righteous. But at the same time, both he and Syn could see the King of Summon Spirits point. They had never been trustworthy...but then again, no one had ever tried to trust them. Thinking about it, Erebus thought that he was very trustworthy. Ever since he and Syn had come to share the same body, he had always upheld his end of the pact. But then again, Syn did as well...but that could only mean that he too was trustworthy, couldn't it? After all, the few times that the two of them had made promise or given another a reason to put faith them (or fear them) they always went through with it. Finally deciding to put these thoughts aside, Erebus turned back to the matters at hand, most of which Syn had begun taking care of.

Syn scanned Sheena's face carefully, looking for a sign of what she might be thinking. But he wasn't that good at reading expressions that didn't have something to do with anger or fear. Those were usually the only two expressions people had around him, even if they were his allies. Giving up, he decided to break the silence.

"So, will you trust me?" Sheena looked in thought for a moment.

"Not yet...I will help you, but as Origin said, you will have to earn trust. I don't know what you did during the Karhlan War, but Origin is willing to give you chance out of mutual need...if you want anything more, whether for you or Erebus, you will have to earn it." Syn let out a string of cusses in his head. He was not used to having to 'earn' things. Usually if he wanted it he could just take it. But there was never really anything he ever wanted anyway. He already had everything he needed...didnt he? Shaking the thought away, he returned to the conversation.

"Fine...we will try to earn your trust. In the process perhaps you will also earn ours...a mutual trust would do well if we are to be allies. Earned or otherwise." Sheena had to agree with Syn on at least that. If she had not been able to trust her previous companions she didn't know where she would be now. Also, in a way, she could see a bit of her in Syn in how his adventure was starting off. Untrusted by all for previous actions. Though her actions were mostly likely nothing compared to what he had done...

"Thats good. I will give you the benefit of the doubt for now...nothing more. Also, right now you are the leader of our little group of three. So you need to decide what we should do. Though I would assume that if you want the help of my friends we will be going to find them." It took Syn a minute before he realized who the third 'person' was. He and Erebus had been together so long he didn't think anything of it at times. After 7,000 years you grow accustomed to some things.

"Yes...that would be good. I, however, do not know where your friends are. You will have to lead the way to find them. I will also let you explain the situation to them and the part I play in it. Once we have them all, or as many as we can get that are alive, then we can do something about you making a pact with one of the Angelic Summon Spirits." Sheena did not like how he referred to them finding her friends. At the same time, however, it did give her a sense of urgency to get going.

"Alright...we can leave now and be in Iselia in 20 minutes by Rheaird. We should be able to find Lloyd and Colette there." Syn nodded and Sheena began to lead the way to the Rheaird. It was only when she got to it that she realized she only had one. The group had each kept a Rheaird for themselves, but they were not so common that she would have an easy time obtaining another. Sheena slowly turned to face Syn, feeling uneasy at the thought of them riding so close together. Not only because he was a guy, but also because he was a 7,000 year old half demonic being. Syn, who was getting impatient at her delaying them, eyed her.

"I thought you wanted to leave? Why are we procrastinating? Time is of the essence, and I'm sure y our friends would like to know why they are being attacked every five minutes." Those words kicked Sheena into gear. Finally mounting the Rheaird she waiting for Syn to board. Syn quirked an eyebrow at her as she motioned for him to join her.

"You only have one?" Sheena sighed and was about to say something rude to Syn in response, but he boarded the craft before she got the chance. Also, to her great relief, he didn't sit to close to her or make too much physical contact. Revving up the Rheaird, Sheena flew low over Mizuho and called out one of the Vice-Chiefs, who she instructed to fortify and take care of the village until she returned. With that taken care of, the pair flew towards Iselia.


	4. The First Encounter

Disclaimer: Don't own Tales of Symphonia or anything related to it. Except my fanfic...

Authors Note:

I would like to thank those of you that reviewed my fic thus far. I have redone the format in the manner suggested, I hope it makes the story more comprehensive and easier to read.

**Tales of Symphonia**

**Rise of Neflheim**

_Chapter 3: The First Encounter_

The 20 minutes spent aboard the Rheaird was uneventful. Sheena was busy piloting, though she was glad that Syn never tried anything. She had been worried he might, after all, she had yet to learn of his good qualities. That assuming he had any. Syn, meanwhile, had been observing the land below. It had been a long time since he had flown over the land. Let alone like this. He was kind of surprised at how he enjoyed it though. Never before had he really cared for anything like this, but being imprisoned in darkness for thousands of years can change your perspective on things. As the village of Iselia came into view, Sheena noticed some commotion near the front gate. She identified two of the figures immediately, Lloyd and Collette. It was obvious that they were under attack and, from the looks of it, almost more than they could handle. The pair was outnumbered 20 to 2. Already there were corpses of enemy soldiers laying on the ground. The village itself looked deserted. It seemed like Lloyd and Collette were holding off the soldiers in order to protect the village as the villagers made there escape.

Sheena moved to land her Rheaird, but as she flew over the fray Syn jumped off craft, landing on a few enemy soldiers below. Sheena winced as she saw two of of the soldiers fall over, several gashes already ripped through their armor. This action took all those down below by surprise, including Lloyd and Collette, who promptly looked up and noticed her Rheaird, waved, then got back into the fight as more soldiers fell upon them. Sheena quickly landed her craft just inside the village then moved to join the others. By this time, the enemies were much fewer in number. Whereas Lloyd and Collette were having trouble before, they were having a much easier time now. Most of the soldiers had shifted concentration from the pair to Syn, who was whirling away his foes with very impressive speed. For a moment, all Sheena could do was watch as he ripped through the enemy soldiers with intense speed and precision. What had previously been 20 soldiers was now 11. Sheena was snapped out of this trance by a charging enemy, who she quickly subdued.

Syn was concentrating intently on the battle he was now in, enjoying the feeling of chaos that flowed through the battle as everyone acted on instinct and quick wits rather than a thought out plan. He also enjoyed the feeling of his katar's slicing through the enemy. Four had decided to rush him now, one on each side of him using halberds. Quickly, he finished off the soldier in front of him, then back-flipped over the soldier that charged him from behind, using one hand to balance on the man's shoulder while the other bit deeply into his neck. Landing on his feet while the man crumbled to his knees, he lept upon the attacker to his right, jabbing one katar through his heart while the other sliced across the neck of one companion and parried the hit of another. Freeing his blade from the Knights heart, he quickly finished the fourth knight. By this time, the three of his allies managed to finish off the rest of the enemies and he had nothing left to kill. Syn quickly sheathed his blades, and turned to face Sheena, Lloyd, and Colette. The blond and the swordsman looked confused by his presence, looking a bit tense but not attacking him.

"Lloyd, Colette! Are you guys alright?" Sheena called out as she came rushing up beside them. The pair turned to look at her, obviously relieved by her presence.

"Sheena! Hey...you've come at a strange time, these guys showed up and tried to kill us...I mean, we save the world and they try to kill us..." Lloyd's expression turned sad at that thought. He hadn't expected something like this, not after all he had done to help people.

"Lloyd, its not what you think...we have to talk. Something bad has happened and we need to get the group back together. The details are kind of lengthy..." And so Sheena gave the story Syn had explained to her. All in its entirety. Though Lloyd somehow got confused through parts of it and Colette seemed to have taken the information in a different way than explained to her, the basic point was gotten across. After the explanation was done, Lloyd looked over to Syn, who had been leaning against the gate to Iselia as Sheena talked, and examined him closely.

"So...your an type Summon Spirit, huh? Wow...that must be cool!" Lloyd was obviously interested in Syn at the moment. Sheena's story sparking his interest in his new ally. Syn grunted in response, not really wanting to talk to anyone. They should have already started moving for others of the group. Also, he already didn't like Lloyd or Colette. The swordsman seemed slow from the get go, and the girl acted like a ditz. He sincerely hoped the rest of the group was not like these two. Lloyd had started frowning from Syn's lack of response. He had wanted to know more about Sheena's mysterious companion. Syn, however, was not in the mood to sit and be questioned.

"You realize that as we wait here your other companions are in danger, right? The more we sit here the greater the likelihood of them being killed or captured. Lloyd and Colette's little run in should be proof of that. This town was busted up pretty bad in their search for you." Syn's words spoke true to his allies. They could not afford to sit around. The group quickly decided that they should find Regal and Presea in Altiamira by swinging SW, then head to were Raine and Genis were in the newly founded town of Mithrim, which was located South of Altiamira and in between the Toize Valley Mine and the SE Abby. Syn waited a small distance from the group as they made these decisions. He was not comfortable around others, having spent 7,000 years with no companion other than Erebus. For him, however, that was enough. The talking finally subdued as it was decided that Syn and Sheena would go on ahead to Altiamira, with Lloyd and Colette catching up once they let the villagers of Iselia know it was safe for them to return. Boarding the craft along with Sheena, the two sped off in the opposite direction of Lloyd and Colette.

The ride to Altiamira was spent for the most part in silence. Sheena was wasn't comfortable enough around him to start a conversation up and he wasn't the talkative type, so it all worked out. Their relationship was strictly business anyway. Once this was over he would disappear for a century or so.

**'Eternal life can be a pain sometimes...I wonder why humans always seem to search for it so much?'** Syn sighed silently. He had eternal life, and though he had great power he had already taken his revenge long ago. Official, his pact with Erebus had been fulfilled long ago, but they had never parted. He thought about it sometimes...why they never just released each other. But he knew the answer more or less...just as he had no where to go, neither did Erebus. Being a Demonic Summon Spirit he had no temple on this world...no 'home.' And he could not wonder alone through this world. If Erebus was ever released into the world, the Summon Spirit would perish. Syn and Erebus had spent so much time together that they had bonded in many ways. Syn thought of Erebus as his best and only friend, and Erebus saw him as something just as important if not more, and though they never discussed it they knew it was there. Thinking more about his unique relationship with the Summon Spirit, he suddenly became very thankful for the fact that though he and Erebus could share each others thoughts, at the same time they could have private ones of their own if they chose to. Syn suddenly snapped out of his thoughts as he felt the Rheaird descending. They were now landing in front of Altiamira. Syn jumped off quickly and waited for Sheena to put up craft.

"Alright...Regal and Presea should be here. In the Lezareno headquarters building. Hope they are alright..." Sheena said in a concerned tone. After seeing how Lloyd was attacked she wanted to get their group together as quickly as possible. She lead the way through Altiamira quickly, with Syn behind her. Syn merely just followed her, not thinking too much of the area and not liking the host of people that inhabited the resort city. As they got in the elevator however, he started to feel uneasy.

The elevator had reached the Presidents floor by this time, the doors swinging open to reveal Regals office, him standing and talking to what looked like an aid. On seeming them however, he motioned the aid away, who left via the second elevator.

"Sheena, what a surprise to see you. Come, sit down. What brings you here? And who is your friend?" Regal asked in what seemed like pleasant surprise. Sheena looked glad to see that her friend was ok, but noticed that Presea wasn't around. Syn on the other hand had started feeling that things were not right.

**Syn! This Regal is already possessed by Neblheim, we must leave immediately!** Syn cursed under his breath. If this was going to go the way he felt it was going to go then they were in a trap.

"Regal! I-" Sheena's response to Regal was cut short as Syn grabbed her and pulled her into the elevator. Quickly, he whispered what was happening into her ear.

"Regal is gone. His mind has already been overtaken by Neblheim. His condition is the same as that of Zelos. We must get out of here before Neblheim himself shows up." Syn hit the button on the elevator, expecting to go back down. That, however was not what happened. It did not move.

"Sheena, is something wrong? Why would you want to leave so soon? After all, you just got here." Regal smiled as he finished his sentence. Sheena was confused, and she didn't see anything different about Regal. Then she noted his eyes. They seemed...wrong. Just looking at them gave her fright. Syn quickly searched for a quick way out, the only one being the window. Regal was standing in the way of it however. It was then that he noticed Sheena had started shaking. Looking down at her he saw that she had her eyes locked on Regals. He cursed to himself and began shaking her.

"Sheena, don't look directly into his eyes. Now that he has been possessed staring at him like that is like staring into the eyes of Neblheim himself. Something no human should should do for too long." His actions helped break Sheena out of her trance, but she still looked shaken. Regal, however, was none too happy with Syn.

"Stupid Avatar...why could you not have made things easy? If you had just let the girl stay as she was for a few more minutes her soul would have been susceptible to me..." Regal growled.

"Sheena, we _must_ leave. Right now I am certain that Neblheim is on his way, and I cannot harm him. You by yourself will not be able to do much. We must neutralize Regal quickly." Syn knew their time was short. If Neblheim showed up with her being the only one that had a hope of hurting him then they would be doomed. Sheena needed at least some time to summon, and he could not hurt Neblheim. He managed to get a nod from Sheena, and it was all he needed. He quickly charged at Regal, hoping to end the fight quickly. He was about to connect with the first attack when Regal suddenly spun around and hit him square in the chest, sending him flying into the farthest wall. His impact made a huge crack in the wall and he could feel several of his bones break from the force of the impact. He landed on his knees, using his hands to support himself.

"Syn!" Sheena gasped as he flew into the wall. Quickly, she moved to his side, concerned for him. Though she still didn't trust him he was her ally and did not want to see him hurt in battle.

**Neblheim has amplified this ones powers...a normal human could not have done this to us. **Erebus' voice echoed through his head. Syn smirked, it had been a long time since anyone had shown this kind of power to him. But he did not have the time to relish a fight with someone like this. He and Sheena needed to leave before Neblheim came...and he could feel the Demon coming. Syn quickly got up, as he did he could hear as his bones snapped back into place, healing almost instantly from Erebus' power.

"I'm alright Summoner...but we must fight now." Syn readied his weapons once more, as did Sheena. She did not really want to fight Regal however, memories of their time together coming back to her.

"Regal...why are you doing this? You must stop! Don't let your mind fall prey to Neblheim!" Sheena pleaded. She hoped that maybe, somewhere Regal could hear her. That he might be able to resist Neblheim and regain control of his body as Colette had when her had been taken over by Mithos. Regal, however, only laughed at her.

"Foolish girl...his mind, body, and soul already belong to me. As soon will yours. None of you are safe from me. Not even you, Erebus...just because you hide inside your Avatar does not make you safe from me. I would have destroyed you when I first found you had I known that your stupid Avatar would not be able to control you." Regals eyes had now changed to a glowing, yellowish color. His body now began to give off a visible Aura of darkness as his body began to transform.

**Syn! Neblheim is going to use Regal as his vessel. We must take advantage of this and leave before he is fully transformed. We both know our chances if he completes this transformation. **Erebus stressed these words. Syn knew exactly what would happen if Neblheim finished transforming Regal into a vessel. He, Erebus, and Sheena would be screwed. Taking not time, he grabbed Sheena and ran for the window. Sheena, who was taking by surprise, yelled out just before they smashed through the window and fell towards the ground. Syn landed on the ground easily, though Sheena was obviously not happy about jumping through a window and falling four stories to the ground.

"You bastard! You scared the crap out of me!" Sheena was squirming in his arms, but he was much stronger than her and kept his grip.

"We have no time. Neblheim is using Regal's body to make himself a physical form. That means that he is elsewhere...but dealing with something transforming into his vessel is almost as bad as dealing with him in person. We must get to the Rheaird and leave now." Syn starting running back the way they had come, towards the Rheaird.

"Wait! What about Presea? She wasn't with Regal...whats happened to her?" Sheena shouted at him.

"She is either dead, captured, or elsewhere...the most likely event is that she is dead. Neblheim is not fond of taking hostages." Syn's response did not help to comfort Sheena, but it did silence her. As they reached the gates of Altiamira, Syn noticed Lloyd and Colette. He cursed their timing. On seeing him, they Lloyd waved and called out, running up to them.

"You two! Quickly, we must leave. There is no time to explain, but we must. Now!" Not waiting for their response, Syn started for the Rheairds with Lloyd and Colette in tow. Just as he reached them however, he saw Regal, or what had once been Regal, swoop down from the skies at him. Syn only just managed to hit the ground before he was cut down by a large pole-axe. Sheena once more yelled in surprise as Syn landed on top of her. He quickly got up and brought his katars out. He also noticed that Colette and Lloyd where also in a battle stance. Perhaps with the two of them they could defeat Neblheim's vessel. Turning back to the possessed human, who was now hovering in the air before them he noticed how the transformation had turned out. Regal was now clad in black armor with elaborate demonic runes covering all its pieces. The armor itself looked as it could be deadly itself, having many blades adorning several of the pieces. He had no helmet though, and his face still showed a resemblance to his former self, but much had changed on him as well. His hair was now dark black and his eyes still glowed with the eerie yellow light. From his back also protruded a pair of black and leathery, dragon like wings. 'Regal' smiled and we twirled his black pole-axe, which was adorned much like his armor. The axe-head holding many spikes so it could also be used as a spear and was engraved with many runes of the same demonic script beheld on his armor.

"Ah...more Heroes of Symphonia. I should thank you, Avatar of Erebus. You have brought me not only the summoner, but two of those I wish to kill as well. And here I thought I would have to spend more time before they were either all dead or had their minds taken over by me." Regal laughed evilly as he finished his words. It was about this time that Lloyd finally recognized just who was standing before them.

"R-Regal? Is that you...whats going on?" Lloyd asked in a confused tone. He wanted to know why his former friend was before them as he was.

"Fool...I am not longer Regal. I am Neblheim, Lord of Demons! And soon to be the ruler of this world once more. And not you, the summoner, or that traitorous fox and his avatar will be able to stop me." Neblheim smirked and looked directly at Syn.

"But then again...you cant stop to begin with, can you Avatar of Erebus? You cant harm me, can you? I, however...I can harm you." Neblheim quickly dove towards Syn, slashing he axe as he tried to cleave him in half. Syn was only just able to roll out the way, but not before being nicked by the blade. Neblheim had very quick reflexes though, and turned around and fired a blast of dark energy that hit Syn squarely before he could recover from his roll. The blast sent him flaying back, landing on the ground hard a couple of feet away. Sheena, who was now very close to the Demon, rolled away from him and began casting a spell to imbue Colette, Lloyd, and her with weapons of Light property. Neblheim, who noticed her beginning her cast, rushed at her to keep from casting or summoning anything, but Lloyd stepped in between him and his target. The demon swung his pole-axe down hard, which Lloyd managed to block head on, though the force from the blow was almost enough to force him to his knees. Using all his strength, Lloyd slashed his blades out, pushing Neblheim back from his attack. By this time both Sheena and Colette, who had been casting Holy Judgment, finish their spells. All at the same time Colette, Sheens, and Lloyd's weapons glow with holy light and as their bodies are engulfed in a bluish glow with beams of bright light raining down from the heaveans upon Neblheim. The Lord of Demons had not expected such an attack and howled in pain as he was struck.

"Damn you! But such attacks will not save you! And think about this, if you kill my current form you also kill your friend! Do you really want that? Pledge your allegiance to me, and I swear I shall not hurt your friends. Surely you don't want them all to die a slow, painful death." The group of three hesitated for a moment. Neblheim's words about them killing Regal causing them to remember just who they were fighting. By this time Syn had managed to get up, though he could feel himself injured. Normally he would recover quickly from such attacks, but Neblheim didn't just hurt Syn's body with his attacks, but also Erebus. Since he drew his power from the Summon Spirit and held him inside his body, Neblheim was able to essential strike at his very soul.

"Don't...Don't listen to him. He will kill you in the end. His words are nothing but lies. If you want to save your friend then try to Seal hirrrlf!" Syn was never able to finish his sentence. Neblheim, who did not want anyone to know how they might be able to defeat him quickly set about to silence Syn. Moving swiftly, the demon slammed spiked part of his pole-axe into Syn, then used the blade to lift and throw Syn's body into one of the Rheairds. The force of Syn's body impacting into the Rheaird caused to slide back quite a ways, leaving a bloody dent from where his body impacted.

"Fool...you should have remained silent. Suffer, Erebus...suffer in silence until I am done with your friends." Lloyd and the others rushed to where Syn had fallen, Lloyd placing himself between Syn and Neblheim.

"Syn! Neblheim, you bastard!" Lloyd had now lost all hesitance Neblheim had placed in him on mention that he was fighting Regal's body. Sheena and Colette had bent over Syn, checking to see his condition and if they could do anything to help him.

"St-stop...defeat...Neblheim...now...you must..." Syn choked out. Neblheim attack had struck him in the chest, breaking or cracking a few of his ribs while also inflicting a nasty flesh wound that had pierced one of his lungs. Blood was flowing freely from the wound, with a little also coming from his nose and mouth. Colette and Sheena both tried to silence him as they applied different gels in order to try and help the wound. Neblheim laughed on noticing their attempts to help Erebus and his Avatar.

"Don't waste your time on that one. Common healing items wont work on him, my weapon is specially imbued to to maximize damage potential and curse wounds i inflict. Not only that, but the Avatar is not hurt quite so much as Erebus is...each would I deal to his Avatar is like me dealing a wound to that wretched Summon Spirit himself." Neblheim laughed evilly. What he failed to notice was that Lloyd was now glowing. The grip he had on his weapons had tightened, and it wasn't long before his wings unfolded. This caused Neblheim to stop laughing.

"You bastard...not only do you take over the minds of my friends, but you use them to attack us...then you severely injure another of my friends. You sick bastard...I will not let you hurt anyone else!" With a cry, Lloyd flew straight at Neblheim, his weapons ready to strike. The demon was only just able to bring his pole-axe up to block Lloyd's flurry of hits. Lloyd's strikes were quick, precise, and held a lot of force behind them. Each one of his strikes caused Neblheim to move back a step as sparks erupted from every hit he blocked.

"What-What is this? A Seraphim? I thought only the two so called "Chosen" had angelic powers! And they were not true Seraphim!" Neblheim shouted in confusion and anger. Lloyd struck another blow, this time causing Neblheim to slide back from its force.

"Then you thought wrong." Lloyd responded calmly. Lloyd then slapped the two swords he had been using to attack Neblheim, his Material Blades, and called upon the Eternal Sword.

"Eternal Sword! Banish this demon from my friends body! Seal his power!" Lloyd called out. The Eternal Sword began to glow as it got ready to perform what was asked of it. Neblheim cursed as he saw the blade materialize.

"Curse you! You have not defeated me, do you hear me? You may be able to save your friend today, but he will never awaken! I will make sure of it!" Neblheim's body began to glow in a black and purplish light just as the Eternal Sword shot him with a blue light. With a howl, Neblheim fell to the ground, his body changing back into the form of Regal. Quickly, Lloyd rushed over to Regal's side, and on seeing his being alive and unconscious moved back to where Syn was with Colette and Sheena. The two girls had managed to bandage him up somewhat, tearing pieces of their clothing off in order to do so. Syn looked up to Lloyd, being still conscious even though in much pain.

"Why...didnt...you just...do that...from...the...begining?" Syn question between struggled gasps for breath.

"Well...I cant control the Eternal Sword all that well yet. I've yet to get it to come to me by my own will. It usually shows up when it is needed, like now. But right now isn't the time to talk about this, your hurt pretty bad. We need to get you back to Altiamira with Regal and see what we can do to help you. Do you think we will be able to move you?" Lloyd's concern for Syn made him feel weak. He hated the way everyone was trying to help him. Even if he was injured, the Avatar of the Demonic Summon Spirit of Chaos should not have to be helped by anyone. That also brought another thought to his mind, Erebus had not spoken to him since he had been hit the second time around.

**'Erebus...are you alright?'** Syn was worried for his only friend, even if he was a Demonic Summon Spirit that used his body for a vessel. It took a moment, but Erebus did answer him back.

**Yes...I am...alright. You should not be asking me this. You are the one bleeding by the gallons. I...am afraid I cannot heal us right now...Neblheim's weapons manged to hurt us both pretty bad...its all I can do to keep us alive and you conscious. And I am unsure how much longer I can keep you conscious. I think we will be ok though...I am suffering from an after effect of being struck by Neblheim's weapon's...once it wears off I will be able to fully restore us. It may take a day or so, however. **Syn managed to grin and let out a laugh in his head. It would have caused too much pain to laugh out loud.

**'Curse Neblheim...the only being we are unable to harm...how ironic that he is able to hurt us while we cannot damage him...'** That was Syn's last thought as he drifted away in the land of unconsciousness. The last thing he recalled was Sheena saying something to him before her and everyone else turned into a blur and disappeared into darkness.


End file.
